Following up on Clear Communication—where we addressed the importance of (and tips to maintain) conversations and communication which happened naturally in the office—we now want to address the tech side of communication now that it’s remote. “Can you hear me now?” is funny until you’re in an important meeting and they…
Our last post covered the importance of and practical tips for collaboration. Today, we want to address communication. It’s imperative for the communication channels natural in an office setting to not get lost while everyone is geographically dispersed. It’s easy to lose important details (not to mention the sense of…
According to the SolarWinds IT Trends Report 2019: Skills for Public Sector Tech Pros of Tomorrow, 75% of all public sector tech pros surveyed expressed concerns about whether they have the necessary skills to successfully manage their IT environments over the next three to five years. How can federal IT pros accelerate…
I provide 24/7 network support to a health care system comprised of a hundred hospitals, clinics, and business offices across northern Minnesota, eastern North Dakota, and northern Wisconsin. When my hospital administrators saw the early news of COVID-19 in December and January they asked whether our network would support…
A lot of these tips are predicated on the idea that the work we do is largely individual contributions. But the truth is at SolarWinds (and probably where you work, too), we do a lot of brainstorming, whiteboarding, and even four-hands-one-keyboard-ing. How can we continue to work together when we’re not actually together?…
This week’s Actuator comes to you from the middle of week 3 of 7, as our schools are closed until May the Fourth (Be With You). Here in Massachusetts, we’re entering the beginning of the curve, as testing becomes readily available. Wash your hands and stay home, people. As always, here's a bunch of links I hope you find…
The last entry in our work at home series covered work/life blending. We shared some tips for creating boundaries for yourself, others, and your work as well as some commiseration as we’re all in this together, which comes with a healthy dose of empathy. This time around, we want to discuss your options for staying on-task…
The number one question people have been asking as they move to remote work is not “How do I set up my Wi-Fi?” or “How do I make my kitchen table more comfortable to sit at?” No, the first thing people are saying is, “I feel so disconnected.” Or, “I feel like I’m not good at this.” Or simply, “I don’t like this.” Simply…
In our previous post, we made some recommendations on how to maintain office community and connections with your fellow coworkers. For our extroverted readers, we hope you have taken heart from those recommendations, implemented some (or all), and maybe come up with new ways to maintain a sense of connectedness with your…
In the previous post in this series, we offered tips for Your Work Life at Home. You may now be thinking, “What does THAT mean?” and we humbly suggest you check it out for yourself. We offered options for work space, work boundaries, and more. This time around, we’d like to discuss work/life blending. With the progression…
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